


Shore Leave

by fallenangel8794



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-23 07:43:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10715178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenangel8794/pseuds/fallenangel8794
Summary: In space between ME 1 and 2, Kaiden and Shepard spend some quality time together and realize the direction their relationship is heading, if only the rest of the universe would play along.





	Shore Leave

**Author's Note:**

> It's been so long since I played Mass Effect at all that I had to literally dust off the game cases. I had a wonderful wine and whine night with my bestie that inspired this and suddenly was hot under the collar to finish it. I have a ton of interesting ideas for how to get through it all and I can't wait to get it all down. So, without further ado, here's the next installment!

With the _Normandy_ in dry dock for repairs and Shepard on medical leave, there wasn’t much she could do. So until she was released, she was staying in the Alliance temporary housing unit on the Citadel. After she saved the Council and stopped Sovereign, her superiors had decided not to court martial her, saying that it would be in bad taste to arrest the Hero of the Citadel for doing her job. That suited her just fine. Prison orange wasn’t really her color, anyway. She hated being back in shared barracks. There was no privacy and everyone always wanted to talk to her about something. _Commander, how many geth did you have to kill? Commander Shepard, what’s the Normandy like? Is it fun being a Specter, Commander?_ It was pissing her off. She took a trip to the combat simulator, slipping off while no one was interested in what she was doing. Since the council chambers landed on her head, she’d been on restricted activity and not allowed any training time. To hell with _that_. She picked up a pistol on her way and used her specter access code to get in after hours. Once the program was up and running, she cut loose, nailing target after target, running across a barren battlefield like her life really depended on it.

When the simulation ended, Shepard sat down heavily, panting from exertion. “That was fucking magical.”

“I had a feeling you’d end up here sooner or later.”

Shepard jumped up and spun to face the other person. “Oh, hi, Kaiden.”

“Didn’t overdo it, did you?” He reached for her hand and pulled her close.

“No, not this time. I was just blowing off steam. How are you feeling?” She entwined her fingers with his and began leading him over to the control room. Kaiden had been in the infirmary getting his implant recalibrated since Saren did him the favor of shorting it out. She hadn’t seen him in almost two weeks.

“I’m alright. Better now that I’ve found you.”

Shepard planted a kiss on his lips. “I’m glad they released you.”

“It was conditional.”

“Isn’t it always?”

“Maybe for you. How are you holding up?”

She shrugged, turning away from him to shut down the program. “Okay, I suppose. I don’t like sitting on my ass while there’s shit to do.”

“So, I take it you’re free tomorrow night?”

“That’s one way to look at it.”

“Then that’s the way I’m going to. Meet me in the lobby of the Galaxy hotel at seven.”

“Wait, what?”

“Oh, and you should wear something other than your uniform.”

“Why would I need my armor? What the hell are you planning?”

“I didn’t mean your armor, Adaleigh.”

“Then what-” her eyes widened when she realized what he was asking.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said with a grin and kissed her goodnight.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Commander, someone left this for you,” Hector Emerson said as she returned from the combat sim. She recognized him from the weapons suit on the _Normandy_.

“What is it?”

“I dunno, but it looks mighty fancy.”

She narrowed her eyes at the ornately wrapped box. Kaiden’s invitation made her suspicious, yet eager to tear it open. Just not with an audience. So she gathered the box and took it to her quarters. Since she wasn’t just another grunt, she got the privilege of her own small room, complete with a bed, desk and closet sized bathroom. Her quarters on the _Normandy_ were bigger, but she didn’t have her own bathroom on the ship. Pros and cons, she mused.

Sitting on the bed, she tore through the shiny paper and lifted the lid of the box. Her mouth fell open. There was an ivory and green floor length dress, cut in a popular Citadel fashion style. She pulled it out and held it up. It seemed like it would fit perfectly. She couldn’t stop the grin that spread over her face and pressed the garment closer to herself. The dress was beautiful and she was sure it would work for whatever Kaiden had planned. Speaking of him, Shepard went back to the box to look for a card of some sort to indicate who had sent it. Sure enough, there was a small, hand written note.

_I saw this and it reminded me of the color of your eyes. You should wear it tomorrow. I can’t wait to see you._

_-Kaiden_

His idea of romance was so old fashioned. And Shepard loved it. It was just so simple and so _him_ that it was perfect. Still grinning, Shepard put the card in her gear locker and fell into bed, finally excited to be on shore leave.


End file.
